ETIAS – In 2024, most travelers (including Americans) will need new documents to enter the European Union.
The days of jetting off to Paris with just a passport are numbered. Starting in 2024, 1.4 billion people—including Americans—will need special travel authorization to enter the Schengen area of Europe. The restriction is part of an international effort to increase security.
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is implementing the new rules. The program was approved in 2016 and was supposed to start in 2022 but was delayed by a series of roadblocks, including the pandemic and insufficient infrastructure to support the program. It will now launch sometime in 2024, though the exact date has not yet been confirmed.
Once ETIAS kicks off, travelers coming from once visa-exempt countries—including American and British tourists—will be required to apply for travel authorization and pay a small fee. It applies to people who plan to stay in participating countries for fewer than 90 days.
The new requirements are being established to help “identify security, irregular migration or high epidemic risks posed by visa-exempt visitors,” according to the European Commission website.
How to Apply for ETIAS
American citizens traveling to Europe can apply on the ETIAS website’s application section once it becomes operational. For notifications in the meantime, you can sign up for emails at the website.
